The present invention relates generally to the processing of coconut-containing products and to edible creamed coconut products resulting from the same.
Coconut milk and coconut cream are used as a flavor base in many Eastern culinary preparations in ways comparable to the manner in which dairy cream, butter and cheese are used in the west. Examples of such foods are Indian and Thai curries which employ coconut milk and/or coconut cream extensively as a flavor base, as well as coconut drinks which are popular in China. Dairy-based products are in a very limited supply in the east and are cost-prohibitive. Coconut milk and coconut cream are available and represent an alternative.
Conventionally, coconut milk and coconut cream are prepared by extracting liquid from coconut meat. Coconut milk and coconut cream can also be produced by adding water to dessicated coconut and then expressing the liquid out. However, the quickest, easiest, most economical and most desirable way to produce coconut milk and coconut cream is to add water to creamed coconut (coconut concentrate). Depending on the desired fat content, one unit of creamed coconut when diluted with hot water will typically produce 1.5-3.5 units of coconut cream or from 4-11.5 units of coconut milk.
The existing, commercially available creamed coconut product is made by milling dessicated coconut into relatively fine particles having an average particle size of about 100 microns. The milled particles are subsequently cooled like a shortening for ease of handling. This creamed coconut product typically has a moisture content of 1.5-3.5 percent, and a fat content of 61-71 percent.
An example of the preparation of a creamed coconut product can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,147,751 which describes a process for preparing a coconut paste having a moisture content of up to 9 percent and a particle size of less than 1500 microns. The product is made by grinding coconut meat containing less than 9 percent water at a temperature of 75-145.degree. F. in, for example, a hammer mill rotating at 3000-3600 r.p.m.. The resultant product is a free flowing mass having a consistency much like white chocolate. This product can be diluted with water to produce coconut milk.
The primary problem with the commercially available creamed coconut product is that when it is diluted to provide coconut milk or coconut cream, the resulting product is not as smooth as aseptically canned, or conventionally made coconut milk or coconut cream. In particular, an unpleasant gritty note is detected at the back of the tongue once the product is swallowed. This unpleasant characteristic is even more noticeable at high water dilutions. The same observation is made when creamed coconut is used as a flavor base to prepare background syrups for frozen desserts as well as for the preparation of cream centers for confectionery applications and fillings for bakery applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,573,064 discloses a reconstitutable dry coconut powder which is made by grinding coconut meat to a particle size of not greater than 200 microns in the presence of enough water to reduce the solids content of the coconut meat to 20-99%. After grinding, the fibrous material is removed from the liquid portion, which liquid portion is described as coconut milk. The coconut milk has a particle size of coconut of 30 microns or less. This is said to be important to eliminate physical detection of cellulose by oral detection or mouth feel. To the coconut milk is added an emulsifier and a protein and the mixture is homogenized to obtain maximum fat particle size reduction. The coconut milk usually has a 16-22% total solids content. Finally, the milk is dried to obtain a powdered coconut product. This dried product is said to provide coconut milk with emulsion stability and fresh coconut taste when reconstituted with water.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,296,136 also relates to a reconstitutable natural coconut flavor and a method for producing that flavor. This patent refers to the product of U.S. Pat. No. 3,573,064 and says that while that process produces a powdered coconut flavor, during storage of the powder, an unwanted "soapy-like" taste may develop. Accordingly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,296,136 is directed to overcoming this problem.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,296,136 produces coconut powder by grinding coconut meat to a particle size of 200-1000 microns to rupture the fibers and expel the flavors contained therein, removing all but up to 2 percent by weight of the coconut fiber, heat treating the liquor and concentrating the material to a liquid containing greater than 25 percent solids, or a free-flowing powder. This patent indicates that it is undesirable to retain fiber in the product since fiber imparts a somewhat chewy and tough characteristic to the composition.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 2,079,030 is directed to the provision of a light, fluffy coconut powder which is readily mixable with water. In the process for making this powder, an amount of water equal to 1-2 times the weight of the coconut is added to fresh coconut to form a product which is then ground and agitated to produce a pulpy mass which can be passed through a 60-mesh (250 micron) screen. The pulp is then dried to provide a light, fluffy mass. The grinding and crushing may be performed by any suitable means such as a hammer-mill, plate-mill, or ball-mill.
The Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, 1985 Edition, under the heading, "Size Reduction" includes a figure which shows the typical feed and product sizes for common comminution devices. For example, a hammer mill will typically produce products having a particle size on the order of 1000 microns and a roller mill typically gives particle sizes on the order of 100 microns. Thus, it can be seen from this that the prior art comminuting techniques generally will not provide coconut products having very small particles sizes on the order of 10 microns.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,079,030 also teaches that if the grinding is too fine, for instance so fine that the particles of the ground mass approach colloidal size, the resulting powder will not be fluffy, but will be heavy and compact and will not have the advantage of the fluffy powder. Accordingly, this patent suggests that coconut should not be ground to very small particle sizes.
Despite the existence of all of the foregoing products, there remains a need in the art for a concentrated coconut product (creamed coconut) which does not suffer from the aforementioned disadvantages of the prior art products.